Collapsible-tube top



Nov. 12, 1929. R. N. ELLIS 1,735,076

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE TOP- Filed April 4. 192a dfzye'z /ar $049 22 157/23; g gQ W/Wrg s.

Patented Nov. 12,. 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH N. ELLIS, OI DEB IOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS WAT- .l'lBS, JR, AND ROBERT COLFLE SH, OF DES MOINES, IOWA GOLLAPSIBLE-TUBE TOP a lication filed April 4, 1928. Serial m3. 201,445.

4. The ob'ect of my invention is to provide a collapsib e tube top of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction.

A further object of m invention is to provide a to for collapsib e tubes such as those used for oldin tooth paste, shaving cream or the like in w ich a valve seat and valve plu is arranged for cutting off the contents of t e tube after a suflicient amount has been 10 discharged.

and cam means for moving the valve plug to either opened or closed position as desired.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrange ment and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, ointed out in my claims, and illustrat- 20 ed in t e accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a collapsible tube embodying my improved type of top thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the B5 same. I

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the top portion of the tube shown in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow 3 adjacent the top thereof.

of Figure 3, lllustrating the parts of the top in closed position.

Figure 5 is a similarsectional view illustrating the parts in opened position; and

15 Figure 6 illustrates the use of the tube as when discharging the contents onto the tooth brush. 7

In the accompanying drawings, I haveused the reference numeral 10 to indicate a collapsible tube. The tube 10 is formed with a top member 12 having an upwardly extending boss like portion 14. A valve seat 16 is formed in the under surface of the boss 14 and an opening 18 extends vertically through the 058.

,A valve plug 20 is positioned inside the tube and adapted to coact with the valve seat 16. The plug is secured to. a pin 22 extending through the opening 18. A tongue 0 2A is secured to the pin 22 and has a down- Still a further object is to provide a tongue re 4 is asectional view on the line 4-4 wardiy extending ortion 26. A shoulder 28 is ormed on the oss 14 and a pairof cam surfaces 30 are formed adjacent the top of the boss. I

The portion 26 of the tongue 24 normally rests on one of the cam, surfaces 30. An opening 32 is formed in the boss 14 for receiving the contents 34 from the-tube 10 and discharging it as indicated at 36. The opening 32 is transversel elongated on the inside of the tube 10 and the outside of the boss 14 as shown in full and dotted lines in Figure 3 so that the contents of the tubewill be discharged in ribbon like form.

In the operation of my device, the portion '26 of the tongue 24 is normally resting against one of the cam surfaces 30 for holding the valve plug 20 in closed position. By rotating the tongue 24 in the direction of the arrow 38, the portion 26 rests on the shoulder 28 for spacmg the plug 20 from the seat 16 as is vertically elongated onshown in Figure 5. When the tube is then collapsed for discharging the contents 34 thereof, the plug 20 will be carried in the direction of the arrow 40 so that a predetermined amount of the contents will be discharged and the valve will then be closed.

When the member 24 is rotated it causes the cam surfaces of the adjacent parts to tightly engage each other and thus serve as a seal and lock.

' Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it ismy intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A top for tubes or the like of the character described comprising a top member, a boss formed thereon, a pin slidably and rotata'bly mounted in said boss, a valve seat on the inner side of said boss, a valve plug on said pin to coact with said valve seat, a tongue secured to the outer end of said pin and a cam surface on said boss to coact with said I tongue, said cam surface having a depressed 2. A top for tubes or the like of the character described comprising a top member, a boss formed thereon, a pin slidably and rotatably mounted in said boss, a valve seat on the inner side of said boss, a valve plug on said pin to coact with said valve seat, said valve plug being capable of assuming a position spaced from said valve seat or a second position coacting therewith upon discharge of the contents of the tube and cam means adapted to coact with the pin upon rotation thereof for allowing said valve plug to assume the first position and for maintaining it in the second position.

3. A collapsible tube top comprising a top member having a valve seat and a valve plu capable of movement toward or from said seat whereby the valve plug may be caused to assume a position spaced from said valve seat or may be moved to a position coacting .with the valve seat upon a discharge of the contents of the tube and manually operated means for causin the valve plug to be retained in either 0 said positions, said means including a tongue, a pin extending through said top member, and having its ends connected with said valve plug and with said tongue, and a cam surface adapted for coaction with said tongue.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 26, 1928.

v RALPH N. ELLIS.

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